Folding door



June- 15,1926. 1,588,663 T. E. COLL INS FOLDING DOOR Filed Feb. 9, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 15 1926. 1,588,663 T;E.coLuNs I FOLDING DOOR M I 7770772a527 6 0711??? creased.

Patented June 15, 1926:. V

UNITED STATES THOMAS E. COLLINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; MARY A. COLLINSEXECUTRIX THOMAS E. COLLINS, DECEASED.

1,588,663 PATENT v OFFICE.

or gain FOLDING 19003.

Application filed February 9,1923. Serial No. 617,939. g

The present invention relates to folding doors, and more particularly to improve ments in folding or jack-knife doors of the vertically moving type.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a construction of vertical ly folding door, which will fold into a compactly nested structure with the door sections substantially parallel so that the door in its folded position requires only a comparatively small amount of head room.

Another object is to' provide operating mechanism for the door which is ofcompact dimension vertically so as to require only a minimum amount of head room. The advan tage of the two foregoing objects will be apparent when it is considered that doors of the present type are frequently installed in freight warehouses, packing houses, etc., where the head room above the top of the door is very small. V

A further object is to provide operating mechanism which will dispense with vertically moving weights, etc, which, for practicable operation, require to be housed in large weight boxes. The weight boxes are an objectionable protrudance adjacent the doorway, and, where heavy trucking is carried on back and forth through the doorway, are always susceptible to being crushed or damaged. 7 i

A further object of the invention is to provide animproved construction of folding door and door operating mechanism wherein the latter will first exert a substantially horizontal force at the hinge line of the door, for breaking the hinge, and will thereafter exertan upward pulling force for folding the door sections vertically. This avoids. the necessity of first manually breaking or folding the hinge line before the door can be raised.

A further object is to provide an improved arrangement of compensating mechanism which will cooperate with the counterbalancing spring so that asthe counterbalancing tension of this spring decreases with] the raising of the door the eifective- 'lever arm through which this counterbalancing tension is transmitted to the door will be in- This compensating mechanism is an alternative feature which may or'may not be employed in the improved door opera-ting mechanism above described: its compensating action being an advantage, however, in

doors which are of more than the average height. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View of the folding door and its improved operating mechanism; I

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View through the door, showing its lateral guiding support;

' Fig. 3' is a transverse vertical sectional View through the wall and door opening, showing the door and its operating mechanism in side elevation; and? Fig. 4 is a fragmentary viewsimilar to F3, illustrating my improved compen eating gear.

The door is generally designatedfi and comprises two folding sections 7 and 8 which are joined alonga horizontal line by the hinges 9-9. This door is adapted to close an opening or doorway 11 in a wall 12, the door consisting of' the usual wood construction comprising wood panels or of metallic construction comprising sheet metal panels mounted on framesof anglebars or other rails. Theupper section 7 of the door is hung on hinges 13-1 3 bo'lted to tlie wall 12, whereby the two sections of the door are permitted to fold upwardly in the manner of a j ack-knife into the dotted line position illustrated in Figure 3. The lower edge of the door is guided in this upward folding motion by laterally extending rollers 14- pro je'cting from the sides of the lower section 8' adjacent the bottom and engaging in lateral guide rails 15 of angle section. These guide rails extend upwardly along the sides ofthe doorway 11, being-secured to the wall 12 atspaced points by angle brackets 16 which bolt to the rails 15 ancbtot'he wall 12. The door is raised and lowered through the instrument-ality of the two operating arms17 which connect through links 18 with laterally extending pivot pins 19 carried on the brackets 21 which are secured to the edges of the lower door section 8.' These operating arms 17 have pivotal support on short pivot shafts'22 carried in the lower ends of two bracket plates 23 mounted on each side ofthe doorway. These bracket plates have lateral attaching flanges 24 by which the bracket'plates are bolted to the wall 12 by bolts25, v

Referring now to the door operating mechanism which is mounted on these two bracket plates 23, it will be seen in Figure 1 that a connecting shaft 26 extends between the two bracket plates 23 for connecting up the two sets of door operating mechanisms at each side of the door, and for mounting the counter-balancing spring 27 The ends of the shaft 26 have bearing support in bearings 28 carried by the bracket plates 23, and project beyond these hearings for mounting small spur gears 29 ateach end. These spurgears 29 mesh with idler gears 31 which are mounted on pivot studs 32' supported on each of the bracket plates 23.- Each of the idler gears 31 meshes with a relatively large spur gear 33 which is journaled on the stub shaft 22 on each of the I bracket plates. The operating arms 17 e2;-

tend diametrically of these large spur gears 33, and are secured thereto by rivets 34 or the like so that both operating arms 17 rotate with the gears 33. These two gears rotate in synchronism through their geared connection withthe cross shaft 26, as above described. 1

The counterhalancing spring 27 consists of a helical coil spring surrounding the shaft- 2 6 and secured at one end thereto throughthe collar 35. The other end of the spring is secured to a sleeve 36 in which the shaft 26 is freeto rotate, this sleeve having an enlarged flanged periphery 37 having locking holes 38 therein. This is for the purpose of adjusting the tension of the spring 27 as'will now be described. After the desired tension has been imparted to the spring 27 by the rotation of the flanged wheel 37, a bolt 39 or some similar stop pin is inserted through one of the adjacent apertures 38 down into an aperture in a stop bracket 41 which is riveted to the inner wall of the adjacent bracket plate 23. This holds the spring 27 under its predetermined tension, and aftords readily operable means for increasing or decreasing the tension if desired. The tension of the spring opposes the descent of the door 6, this tension being properly proportioned so that it naturally counterbalances the weight of the door and thereby facilitates the rapid opening and closing of the door.

This opening and closing of the door is performed through the manipulation of a hand chain 42 which hangsin a. loop from a sprocket wheel 43. This sprocket wheel is mounted on a shaft 44 which is journaled adjacent one end in the bracket plate 23, and at the other enrL in a hub formed on the outer wall of the chain guide 45. This chain guide 45 may be integral with the bracket plate 23, or may he a separate casting secured to it, and is formed with bellmounthed sheath openings which guide the links of the hand chain 42 into mesh with 1,5ss,ees

the teeth of the sprocket wheel 43. The shaft 44 is extended inwardly beyond the outer wall of the bracket plate 23, where. it supports the spur pinion 47. This small spur pinion meshes. with a larger spur gear 48, the hub of which is rigidly pinned to the cross-connecting shaft 26. V

The operation of the door will be obvious from the foregoing :Pulling downwardly on the hand chain on one side offthe loop is operative to swing the two operating arms 17 outwardly and upwardly through the train of gearing before traced, and thereby the two sections of the door are folded upwardly into the dotted line, position shown. The counterhaiancing action of the spring 27 is effective throughout the entire motion of the door for taking the weight of the door 0d of the operating chain 42, and when the door isentirely raised, the tension of this spring is suiiicient to hold the door in this upper position. It will be observed that the two operating arms 17 are so positioned on to gears that their initial movement is outwardly and away from the doorso that they exert an outward pull on the door through the links 18- for first breaking or foldin the knuckle of the door along the line oi hin es 9 before any direct upward pull is exerted on the door. Thereaiterthe upward rotation of the opwating arms 1'? results in these ar'n'is taking anupward motion and pulling up ardly on the lower door section '8 for folding the same under the upper door section as shown,"

the two door sections folding upwardly between the operating arms 17 and the bracket plates By grouping the operating units for each side of the door on the bracket plates 23 the door sections can he folded up between the bracket plates so that the requisite head room is reduced to a minimum. The action of the two operating arms and their pivot connection to the door is such that the'two door sections fold up into a compact ar rano'ement all weight boxes, etc, are'eliminated.

The door may be latched or locked in its closed position by a pair of hell crank latch members 51 which are pivoted adjacent the edges of the upper door section I in close proximity to the hinge line 9; The horizontal arms of these iatch members are adapted to snap over hook lugs 52 which are riveted or bolted to the guiding rails v15. A rod extends inwardly from the upper end of the righthand latch 51 and has pivotal connection with the upper end of a rocking arm or lever 54 pivoted substantially centrally to the upper door section 7 A similar rod 55 extends inwardly and downwardly in an inclined position from the lefthand latch and has connection with the rocking lever 54 adjacent its other end. An actuating rod 56 has pivotal connection with this lower end of the lever 54. and extends towards the edge of the door where it passes through a tubular sheath 57 which is carried on a bracket 58 secured to the door. The end of the rod 56 projects beyond the bracket 58 and carries an operating handle 59 having a flange which is.

adapted to abut the bracket 58 and act as a limiting stop for inward motion of the operating handle. A spring 61 is contained within the sheath 57 and normally tends to thrust a collar 62 on the rod 56 to the left for swinging the latch members 51 downwardly into locking position. It will be apparent that a pull on the operating handle 59' is eiii'ecti've to swing the two latch members 5151' inwardly, and upwardly thereby releasing them from the hook lugs 52- and permitting the hinged edges of the door to swing outwardly for raising the door.

The compensating mechanism which may be employed as an alternative construction, is illustrated in Figure 4. In this form the connecting train of gears is substantially a duplication of the preceding embodiment up to the relatively small pinion 29 which is intended to correspond to the pinion'29 before described. Swinging from the shaft 26 of this gear is a link 6st which cooperates with a second link in forming a toggle or knuckle joint for supporting swinging gear 66. The two links 64 and 65 are connected by the pivot stud. 67 on which the gear 66' is journaled. This arrangement is, of course, also duplicated on the other side of the door. The two gears 6666 are adapted to transmit the drive from the gears 29 to the large gears 33 through a varying radius arm of the latter. The gears 33. are arranged for eccentric rotation about eccentrically disposed bearin studs 22 on which the gears are journa ed. The links 65 curve outwardly over the pivot studs 22 and have pivotal con' 'nection with the gears 33 through stub ends 68, which are disposed concentrically in the gears 33. so related and proportioned to the eccentric spacing between the pivot 22 and the stud 68 that as the gears rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows, the gears 6-6 will'swing upwardly and away under the folding action of the toggle so as to ac conmiodate the greater radius of the other side of the gear 33. In the full line po sition shown, the door is in its closed position, and at this time the drive is transgradual increase of efiective lever'arin from the pivot 22 to the pitch circle of the gear teeth. W hen the door has been raised to its uppermost position, the counterbalancing spring isat its lowest'tension, but

.at this time a maximum length 01 lever arm is eltective through the meshing of the gear 66 with the gear 33 at the largest radius of the latter. Thus, the reduced tension of the spring is compensated for bv the increased leverage through which the gear 66 transmits the torque of the spring.

As I have previously stated, the foregolng compensating gear 1s an arrange 'ment which may or may not be employed in my improved door operating mechanism, as desired. The compensating action is at 'vantageous, however, inthe case of doors of considerable height, or which must move through a considerableheight, owing tothe increased rotation of the counterbalancing spring necessary for the greater range of movement ct -the door, which increased rotation of the spring results in a greater change in tension.

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a vertically moving door comprising a pair of sections hinged together, a pivotally swinging operating arm, a link pivoted thereto and having pivotal connection with said door, near the top of the lower section, and actuating means comprising-- toothed wheels for drivingsaid: operating arm.

2- In combination, a vertically moving tolding'door comprising two door sectionshinged together, a rigid radius member pivotally supported, said radiusmen'iber hav ing pivotal jointed link connection with said door below the hinged connection,

manual actuating means, and gear mech-' ani'sm connecting said actuating means with -said radius member. The links 64c and 65 are 3. Incombination, a pair of vertically moving folding door sections, a pair of: bracket plates mounted adjacent the edges of the upper door sections, shatt'extending between said bracket plates, spur pinions on the ends of said shaft, relatively large spur gears pivotally supported on said bracket plates, idler gears meshing with said spur pinions and said relatively large gears, an operating arm extending from each of said relatively large gears, a link pivotally connected with the end of each operating arm. and having pivotal connection to the lower door section, a counter-- balancing spring on said shaft, a sprocket wheel journaled on one of said bracket plates, an actuating chain traii'icd over said sprocket wheel and gearing connecting said sprocket wheel with said shaft.

4. If combination, a vertically moving "folding door, an operating arm for swinging said door outwardly and upwardly, counter balancing means eonnectedto said door, through said arm and compensating means for progressively increasing the torque arm through which the force oi said counterbalancing means is transmitted to said door when said door is raised.

5.111 combination, a vertically moving folding door, a pivot-allyswinging operating arm, said arm having pivotal attachment to said door, counter-balancing means, and compensating means connected between said couliter-balancing means and said operating arm for varying the ettective torque arm between said counter-balancing means and saidoperating arm.

V 6. In combination, 'a movable door, operating means tor moving saiddoor, counter-balancing means, and compensating means between said counter-balancing-means and said operating means comprising an eccentric-ally pivoted gear for varying the eitiective torque connection between said counteiwbalancing means and said operating means.

7. In combination, a movable door, coun- V ter-balancing means therefor, and operating means connected between said counter-balancing means and said door and comprising an eccentrically pivoted gear, means operativel y connecting said eccentric gear to said door, a pinion connected to said counterbalancing means, a pair of links pivotally connected together and to said pinion and said eccentric gear, and an idler gear pivoted-upon the common pivotal connection between said links and meshing with the gear and pinion. V

8. In combination, a movable door, counter-balancing means therefor, and operating means between said counter-balancing means and said door comprising an eccentrically pivoted gear, means operatively connecting said eccentric gear with said door, a pinion adapted to be rotated by said.counter-bahv anclng means, a first link plvoted conc'en trically with said pinion, a second linkha-ving pivotal support in the centeroi said eccentric gear, said links being pivoted together, and an idler gear moving with the said links. 7 r

point of common pivotal connection between 9. In a device of the class described, the combination of vertically movable hinged door sections, a radius member having pivotal connection \Vlbll said sections, actuating means comprising a. depending loop chain, gear mechanism connecting said actuating means withsaid radius member, a. counterbalancing spring cooperating with said radius member through the gear mechanism, and compensating means for increasing the torque arm through which the force of said counterbalancing means is transmitted to said door sections when said door sections in a raised position.

l(). in combination, a vertically moving folding door, an operating arm forming a part ot an articulated oint-ttor-sw1ng1ng said door outwardly and upwardly, counterbalancing means connected to said door through said arm, and con'ipensating means tor increasing the torque arm through which the force oi? said cotmter-balancing means is transmitted to said door when said door is in a raised position. I 7

11. In combination, a pair of folding door sections hinged together on a substantially horizont 1 line, a supporting member, a rigid operating arm pivotally mounted on said supporting member and extending downwardly in acute-angled relation to the door and having a link extending at an obtuse angle. for connection with the door, whereby initial motion of the arm is operative to move said door sections laterally and horizontallggand subsequently to move the same vertically in horizontal position and in contact with one another, and gear actuating mechanism independent of weights, for actuating said arm,'said mechanism being positioned at opposite sides of the door sections for movement o1 the latter therebetween.

12.111 combination, a vertically moving folding door comprising upper and lower hinged door sections adapted to closea door opening, an operating member supported on apivot spaced laterally trom'said door, and including mechanism between which' the doors operate, means pivotally connecting said opera-ting member with said lower door section adjacent the hinged line between said sections, and means-whereby upon the actuation of the operating member, the initial movement of said operating member will exert-a horizontal iorce todraw the hinged line outwardly and away from said door opening and then to raise thesame,

In witness whereofi'I hereunto subscribe my name this glst day of January, 1923.

' THOMAS E. COLLINS. 

